Antineoplastic agents are useful in cancer therapies against a wide array of cancer and other diseases. Temozolomide is one such antineoplastic agent. U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,759 lists a variety of antineoplastic agents including Temozolomide, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Temozolomide is known for its anti-tumor effects. For example, one study showed that clinical responses were achieved in 17% of patients having advanced melanoma (Newlands E S, et al. Br J Cancer 65 (2) 287-2981 (1992)). In another study, a clinical response was achieved in 21% of patients with advanced melanoma (Journal of Clinical Oncology, 13(4) 910-913 (1995)). Treatment of gliomas in adults with Temozolomide is also known (Eur. J. Cancer 29A 940 (1993)). Treatment of the following cancers in adults with Temozolomide has also been disclosed: metastatic melanoma; malignant melanoma, high grade glioma, glioblastoma and other brain cancers; lung cancer; breast cancer; testicular cancer; colon and rectal cancers; carcinomas; sarcomas; lymphomas; leukemias; anaplastic astrocytoma; and mycosis fungoides.
Temozolomide is a water-insoluble compound. Temozolomide has been administered in patients as micronized suspensions, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,886. However, suspension formulations are not desirable because they may lead to clogged veins.
Storage of pharmaceutical and biological agents, especially antineoplastic agents, as a frozen solution can cause the active ingredient therein to rapidly deteriorate.
Lyophilization, also known as freeze-drying, is a process whereby water is sublimed from a composition after it is frozen. In this process, pharmaceutical and biological agents that are relatively unstable in an aqueous solution over a period of time can be placed into dosage containers in an easily processed liquid state, dried without the use of damaging heat and stored in a dried state for extended periods. Most pharmaceutical and biological agents, including antineoplastic agents, require additional ingredients to protect the active ingredient during lyophilization. In addition, it can be difficult to reconstitute a lyophilized antineoplastic agent into an aqueous solution.
Accordingly there is an increased need for formulations containing antineoplastic agents, such as Temozolomide, which are water soluble, stable and/or suitable for lyophilization, long term storage and reconstitution of the lyophilized formulation into an aqueous solution.
Furthermore, there is an increased need for administering to a patient an antineoplastic agent, such as Temozolomide, as a water soluble and stable formulation.